In today’s blog update, we’ll talk about the possibility of a Cap for Potential Australian students.
Speculation and Government Strategies
Increasingly people talk about the possibility of the Australian government limiting the number of international students while implementing its migration policy. This includes sources that say new policies may involve taxing international students as suggested in the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report. Most universities do not accept this proposal as it provokes a mixed reaction among the people.
Current Scenario and Proposals
By mid-2023, the number of international students in Australia was over 590,000, and 568,753 were holding visas. As an alternative to levy, the Grattan Institute raised student visa fees to raise money and deter low-value course enrollments. Nonetheless, the raised fear is that additional charges may make schools inaccessible to pupils from lower strata of society.
International Comparisons and Industry Response
A comparison is made with the Canadian policy on imposing restrictions on student visas. In Australia, the Student Accommodation Council is against this tax, indicating that attracting global talent is more important than solving the housing problem. They recommend concentrating on purpose-built student accommodation so as to ease housing pressures.
Opposition to the Proposed Tax
ITECA has urged the government to reject the proposed tax which leaves many unanswered questions surrounding its actual usage with potential risks to Australia’s international competitiveness in the education sector. According to them, such a tax will make Australian education costly, making few international students willing to pay for it and thus negatively impacting the education sector.
Summary
Various reactions trail Australia’s contemplation of capping international student numbers and introducing special taxes for them. The stakeholders point out that the balance should be struck between attracting international talent, affordability of education, and lack of accommodation. This is a crucial matter for Australia’s position in the world of education.
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